Onward to China!
by Valveman
Summary: An animestyle Blazing Dragons fic! The dragons go to China. Allfire's old friend apparently has an evil brother who is allied with Count Geofffrey. When the dragons leave, Flicker, Flame and Blaze stay behind to find and stop them. Chapter 4 is finished!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Written by Cameron Whitaker

Plot by Dragi Spark

It was breakfast time in Camelhot, and everyone was gathered in the dining hall, eating in his or her designated spot, royalty on one side, and everyone else on the other. Normally, there would be much discussion about the previous day's adventures, but not this time. There had been nothing to do for the past two weeks, no quests, none of Count Geoffrey's devious plans to take over Camelhot, nothing.

"I wish that there was something to do!" Queen Griddle suddenly broke the silence.

"I'm sorry honey, but nothing has come up." King Allfire responded.

"Well, then why don't we go on a vacation?" 

"Okay, but where should we go?" At that moment, Cinder and Clinker rushed into the room.

"We have a message for you, sire!" Said Clinker in his usual, enthusiastic voice.

"It's from King Ming of China." Cinder added in a deep and boring voice.

"From Ming!? Blazing Dragons! I wonder what he's been up to? We haven't spoken in years!" Allfire snatched the letter from the two jesters and quickly read it. He had a very surprised look on his face. 

"Well, my friends, Ming wants us to go to China! What do you say everyone?"

Everybody cheered, and it was obvious that that would be a cheap and easy vacation.

"All right! Then it's settled. We'll leave for China immediately. Get your things ready, everyone!"

They all scrambled out of the room, and within an hour, they were packed and ready to go. All of them walked over the drawbridge, and on the other side, a large wagon was waiting for them. Cinder and Clinker were to pull it. Everybody climbed into the vehicle, and Flicker and Flame sat together toward the back.

"Wow, Flicker! I've never been to China!" Flame exclaimed.

"I know. I can't wait to see it!" Flicker replied.

It was a long, boring trip all the way to King Ming's royal palace. However, when they arrived at about seven o'clock at night, they were astounded. He had an absolutely magnificent palace that seemed to dwarf Camelhot in the glow of the setting sun. It had a red tile roof, and several statues of various animals placed all over in the lush gardens surrounding it. Blaze was also amazed by the brilliance of the architecture, which was quite rare since he was such a critic in that area.

"Flicker, I have never seen such a magnificent place!" Flame quietly spoke to him.

"Neither have I. It's just amazing." Flicker responded.

Suddenly, an older man dressed in noticeably more expensive clothing walked up to Allfire. He spoke with a distinct Chinese accent.

"King Allfire, It's been a while, but you haven't changed a bit!"

"You have hardly changed yourself, Ming!" Allfire stated.

"Well, don't just stand there, come on in! I'll have one of my servants show you to your quarters."

Everyone followed Ming into the grand palace. He led them into a marvelous room that had numerous decorations ranging from tapestries to weapons strewn all over the walls.

"This, Allfire, is my throne room. I would love to show you around the palace, but I have work to do." Suddenly, he shouted orders to a man standing in the corner.

"Quin! Show these dragons to the guest rooms."

Quin, who apparently was not very fluent in English, led the dragons down several corridors, each one magnificent in one way or another. Finally, they came across several doors. Quin pointed to five of them, hoping that they would get the message that those were the rooms that they were supposed to use.

"Thank you, my friend!" Allfire happily stated as he entered one of the rooms.

All of the rooms were the same, so there was no argument as to who got which room. Naturally, Flicker stayed with Loungealot in order to tend to his every whim. Flame got a bed to herself in Griddle and Allfire's room. Gallahot and Hotbreath got their own room, and Cinder, Clinker, Blaze and Burnevere occupied the final room. In Loungealot and Flicker's room, Flicker was busy unpacking both of their things. 

"Flicker, I need you to polish my shield, get this dent out of my armor, and iron my tunic. A knight can't go around looking like this!" 

"Yes sire!" Flicker replied just as he usually would.

He quickly finished his first task and started on the long list of other chores that he had just been given. Before he could begin, there was a light knock on the door.

"Flicker, answer the door!" Loungealot demanded. When he opened the door, Flame greeted him.

"Flicker, I can't stay long, but I just wanted to tell you to meet me in the garden to the side of the palace at nine o'clock. I want to gaze at the stars with you…"

"Of course! I'll see you then!" Loungealot then interrupted Flicker. 

"Flicker, stop talking to her and do what I asked you to do!"

"Humph!" Flame gave Loungealot a dirty look and then went on her way.

Flicker kept working, and he frequently looked at his sundial watch hoping that that magic hour was near. Finally, after about two hours of nonstop work, it was nine o'clock. Fortunately, Loungealot had fallen asleep, making it easy to sneak out of room and meet with his "date." He casually walked out of the room, and made his way to the garden, which he had no problem finding, amazingly. He found Flame lying on the grass, staring at the night sky.

"There you are, Flame!"

"Flicker, it's so nice of you to join me. I had to tell my father that I was going out for a walk. How did you get away from Loungealot?"

"He was asleep, so it was very easy!" Flicker then laid himself down next to her.

"It's just amazing, there are so many stars!" he started.

"I know! I wonder how many there are?" Her eyes twinkled in the glow of the starlight.

They laid on their backs, side by side, silently for quite some time. Then Flame put her hand on top of Flicker's. He was nervous, since he would be in deep trouble if Griddle caught them. However, he decided that it was more than worth the risk, and he even felt a deep sense of peace. Suddenly, an intense scream echoed throughout the night air.

"It's Griddle!" Flicker cried out in a very shaky tone. Flame was just as anxious. 

"Come on! Let's investigate!"

She took him by the hand, and the two rushed into the palace. They searched all of the rooms first, but all of them were empty. They hurried down the hallway, and when they got to the doorway that led to the throne room, the two peeked around the corner. All of the other dragons were locked in a large cage in the middle of the room. Sitting on the throne was Count Geoffrey. His three evil knights and King Ming were standing next to him.

"Ming! How could you betray me like this?" Allfire cried out.

"I've _changed _Allfire. You see, I work for Geoffrey now. Oppressing peasants and taxing them into poverty is what I do! It's so fun to be evil!"

"Ha, King Allfire, surrender Camelhot, or suffer!" Geoffrey shouted. 

"Never!"

"Hang on Flame, I need to get something!" Flicker whispered.

"I'll stay here." 

Flicker rushed back to his room. Before he could make it, he heard Flame shriek. His blood ran cold. He didn't even stop at his room. Instead, he ran back. When he arrived, he peaked around the corner again. Count Geoffrey was standing up while holding Flame with his sword pressed against her neck.

"Surrender Camelhot, or Flame will perish!" Geoffrey cried out.

Flicker was stunned. Geoffrey had never before threatened anyone's life before. Geoffrey waited to hear a response from Allfire, but he remained silent in a state of utter shock.

"Well?" Geoffrey inquired again.

Allfire still did not respond. Geoffrey gave the sword a little jerk, and Flame shrieked once again. Flicker could see a trickle of blood run down the blade. Allfire was desperately trying to find a way out of the situation, but it seemed to be hopeless. Flicker decided that he had to do something. He grabbed a nearby vase, and darted out from his hidden position with lightning speed. Before Geoffrey could react, Flicker smacked the count as hard as he could, and he went down. Flame was too shaken to even move on her own. Flicker picked her up off her feet, and fled with her in his arms to the garden, since that was the only safe place that he new of. He continued to run through the garden, and eventually he came to an ancient fountain. He laid Flame down on a nearby bench. He inspected the wound on her neck in the dim glow of the moon, and fortunately, it was by no means serious. 

"Flicker," She was now coming to her senses. "Thank you so much."

She sat up and put her arms around him with tears flowing from her eyes.

"There, there." He patted her on the back. "Everything will be okay."

Flicker took off his helmet and dipped it in the sparkling water of the fountain. He took several gulps from it.

"Here, have some of this. It's very refreshing."

He handed his helmet over to her, and she drank what was left of the water. She sat up on the bench next to Flicker as she began to contemplate possible strategies for freeing the rest of the dragons. Then, Flicker noticed something very unusual.

"Flame, that cut on your neck is gone!" It was as if it had never even been there.

"Really?" She spoke with an obviously different voice. She sounded just like Blaze! She covered her mouth in shock afterwards.

"Flame? Are you all right?"

Flicker was unnerved by the strange events. She just nodded, not wanting to speak again. Flame, could tell that Flicker was different as well. Rather than his usual shade of green, his skin was of a shiny, metallic color. Flame, at first, spoke very cautiously to see if she sounded different. This time, there was nothing strange about her voice.

"Flicker? Your skin… It's different!" 

He looked at his arm, and she was right. He was terrified. At once, they heard Count Geoffrey's voice in the distance.

"Keep looking for those two! They'll be dead when we find them!"

Flicker and Flame silently fled. After running for several hundred yards, they came across and old shack, which they abruptly entered. To their surprise, there was an old man inside it.

"Greetings, dragons!" 

"We're sorry for bursting in like this." Flicker, whose skin had returned to normal by then, immediately apologized.

The man could tell by his accent that Flicker and Flame were not from China. 

"Not at all! Here, it is considered good luck for a dragon to enter one's home."

"There is man out there who wants to kill us!" Flame cried.

"Don't worry. You two can hide in here."

He led them through a small hatch in the floor. On the other side of it was a fairly small basement, filled with numerous objects of the occult, which they cautiously entered.

"I will come get you two when they are gone. Trust me, you'll be safe in here."

He climbed up the rickety ladder, and closed the hatch. He moved his bed over it so as to hide it in case Geoffrey came looking for them there. It was only a matter of minutes before Geoffrey kicked in the door.

"Have you seen two dragons near here?" He demanded to know.

"I am old, my legs are wobbly and crippled, my ears are deafened, my eyes are clouded…"

"Silence! Now tell me, have you seen them?"

"No I haven't. I would say that you should look in the nearby town of Xidon. They would most likely have made it there by now." 

Geoffrey gave him an evil glare, and then left the shack in one quick motion. The stranger waited for about half an hour before telling Flicker and Flame that the coast was clear. By that time, Flicker's skin condition had worsened. His skin appeared to be made of metal, yet it did not hinder his movements. As soon as the old man opened the door, he noticed that, and he just smiled, while Flame and Flicker were both nearly hysterical. Flame had also been having problems with her voice, but she did her best to hide them.

"Did you two by any chance drink from an old fountain near here?"

"Why, yes." Flicker simply replied. 

"Has she been suffering from strange anomalies as well?" Again, Flicker responded in the affirmative.

"Then you two have been chosen!"

"What do you mean!?" Flicker was quite confused.

"That fountain has magical powers. Anyone who drinks from it who has a pure heart and a true spirit will gain special powers. Now our task is to find out what they are."

Flicker and Flame were both puzzled. They weren't sure if the man was just making up stories or actually telling the truth. However, he was the only one who could explain what was happening to them, so they were willing to believe him.

"You, my friend, what is your name?" he asked politely.

"My name's Flicker."

"And what's your name?" Flame did not answer since she was afraid of hearing her own voice, so Flicker answered for her.

"Her name is Princess Flame. She has been having problems with her voice."

"Oh? And just what kind of problems?"

"Well, her voice sometimes changes, and when it does, she sounds _exactly _like someone else!"

The old man observed their symptoms, and thought very carefully about them. He finally came to a solution about just exactly what their powers were.

"Flame, listen to me." The man commanded. "Think very carefully about someone close to you. Think about… Flicker! Tell yourself in your mind, 'I _am _Flicker.' But don't just think it, _believe _it!" 

Flame was uneasy about the command, but she did so anyway. Suddenly, her entire figure changed. She actually _became _a mirror image of Flicker! 

"Perfect! You are now figuring out your special power, Flame. Now speak freely. Fear not your voice."

"Flicker, I feel… different…" She said in the exact same tone with which Flicker would have said it. 

Flicker was too stunned to say anything. Their protector showed her to a mirror, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Flame, you have been granted a power that allows you to transform into an exact copy of any dragon, human, or animal. It is a difficult power to master, so make sure that you practice." He then walked over to Flicker.

"Now it's your turn. You have been given a power similar to her power. You can transform into any inanimate object. Do exactly as I told Flame, but believe that you are a rock."

Flicker was just as uncertain as Flame was, but upon executing the wise man's command, he transformed into a rock. In an instant, he changed back, and he was absolutely speechless.

"In addition," The old man continued, "You have been given increased strength. Come with me you two."

He led them outside and straight to a large boulder that was at least four feet in diameter.

"Flicker, try to pick this up." He simply commanded.

Flicker put his arms around the rock, and his claws amazingly dug into the solid chunk of granite. He gave a groan, and slowly he raised it higher and higher until he held it over his head. He threw it with an enormous amount of force and it traveled at least fifty feet before hitting the ground with a huge thud. He stood there with his eyes wide open. 

"Come inside Flicker and Flame. You may spend the night in my shack."

"I'm sorry, but we must save our friends!" Flame, who had now changed herself back into her true self, declared.

"Very well. I understand what Geoffrey is probably doing to them. Just come with me quickly."

The three went back into the shack. The man pulled out two items from an old chest.

"Here, Flicker. This is a special staff that can be lengthened or shortened at will. Just rub this part to make it longer, and just rub this part to make it shorter."

He handed it to the dragon. Flicker followed the old man's instructions, and sure enough, he was able to change the staff's length at will by just rubbing those two parts.

"This is for you, Flame."

He put a gorgeous necklace around her neck that had a large blue gem embedded into a finely detailed gold facet.

"This necklace allows you to see into the hearts of others so that you can see his or her true feelings."

"Thank you so much!" The two said simultaneously.

"Now I'm sorry that we can't stay, but we must rescue everyone!" Flicker exclaimed.

He took Flame by the hand, and they dashed out through the door. They ran all the way to the throne room. Geoffrey had already given up the search for them, so he had returned and was now sitting on the throne. Flame took a sword from a display on a wall. Flicker tried to stop her from rushing in to fight Count Geoffrey all by herself, but he failed. She ran up to Geoffrey, and he was not the least bit surprised to see her.

"Release them this instant, or fight!" She yelled with an incredibly fierce tone. Flicker was scared to death.

"And just what are you going to do about it?" Geoffrey said in a joking manner.

Flame darted up to him, and swung once, but he had already taken out his sword and blocked her blow.

"All right. If that's how you want it, then so be it!" Count Geoffrey shouted.

The fight began. Flicker glanced into the cage, and he could easily tell that Allfire was biting his claws, as he couldn't bear to see his daughter in such danger. Flame and Geoffrey's swords clashed numerous times, sending frightening echoes throughout the room. Flame was doing rather well, and in some cases, she appeared to be winning. Suddenly, Geoffrey made a thrust in an attempt to end the fight.

The entire room fell silent. The sword had gone through Flame's stomach, and half of it was protruding out of her back. She dropped her sword. Geoffrey pulled out his sword in one quick motion, and she collapsed. Flicker ran up to her despite the danger he was putting himself in. Surely Geoffrey was still angry with him for the pain that he caused with the vase. She was breathing heavily, but Geoffrey stopped Flicker from doing anything to her. He put his bloodstained sword up to Flicker's neck.

"Let her die, squire!" he commanded.

"Please Count Geoffrey, let me take her with me. She means everything to me. Please!" Flicker desperately pleaded with tears running down his face. 

"…Very well. I suppose I can spare you. You can't save her, so there's no reason why you can't take her away. It just means that I won't have to deal with her dead body!"

Flicker picked her up and rushed out of the throne room, though he had no idea of what he was going to do. In the hallway, he came across the old man who had apparently attempted to follow them. Upon seeing Flame's state, he quickly offered some advice.

"Take her to the fountain and make her drink from it. It will heal her wounds!"

"Please hurry, Flicker…" Flame said in a low, deathly tone.

Flicker ran as fast as he could, but the journey to the fountain seemed to be hundreds of miles away. Finally, he arrived, but Flame was so weak that she could no longer speak. Flicker set her down on the same bench that he had laid her down on before, dipped his helmet in the water, and offered it to her. She slowly drank it, and there was an immediate difference. Her wound quickly diminished to nothing, and she rapidly regained her strength. It was truly an astounding sight.

"Flicker, you saved me! Thank you so much!" She was crying at that time.

She kissed him on the lips, which caught him completely off guard. He sat next to her in complete silence. The old man had once again caught up with them, and he noticed the large hole in Flame's dress.

"Come with me to my shack. I have some clothes that you two can have!"

They followed him, and he opened another large chest. He pulled out a shiny suit of light armor that was colored a deep red. He handed it to Flame.

"Put that on. I think that it will look good on you."

"Okay, but can you two look away please?"

They did as they were told while she donned the armor. It fit perfectly. She signaled them when she had finished, and Flicker was stunned. The armor was far more revealing than her old dress, but it was absolutely gorgeous on her. Its deep red hue seemed to complement her yellow skin perfectly. The man then handed a suit of armor to Flicker, and he quickly put it on. It was surprisingly comfortable, and it was apparently designed to accommodate his unique abilities. He absolutely loved it.

"You two should not try to fight Geoffrey again tonight." The man suggested. "You can sleep here. Tomorrow, you two can fight again. Until then, my basement is your bedroom." 

"But they are all in danger!" Flicker shouted.

"Don't worry. Your friends will be fine. Here, drink this. It will help you fall asleep."

Flicker and Flame were still uneasy about the idea of leaving the others until the morning, but they realized that it was best if they got some rest. They graciously accepted the potion, and they both drank it. They climbed down to the small ladder and laid down on a straw mat. The potion kicked in, and they were out cold. Their guardian woke them early the next morning.

"I think that you two are ready to fight!"

Flicker and Flame were still half-asleep. He gave them another potion that was intended to help them wake up, and it quickly did.

"Now none of you will need any weapons. Just march in there side by side, and you two will be victorious." Flicker and Flame thanked him for his great generosity and then they left to save the rest of the dragons. They walked side by side into the throne room with their heads held high. Everyone in the cage was deeply upset by Flame's apparent loss. Allfire was actually crying, a seen that the knights dreaded. Flame and Flicker just walked by without saying anything. As each person in the cage saw her alive and well, his or her mouth dropped. Eventually Allfire noticed her in her state of perfect health.

"Flame! You're alive! I've never been so happy in my life!"

"Of course I'm alive! It takes more than Count Geoffrey to stop me! Now if you'll excuse me, we have to stop him."

They approached the throne, and Geoffrey was awestruck. Flame's stomach was left bare by her new armor, but she had no wound from the previous night. However, he pulled out his sword and was ready for a fight.

"Flicker, go show him what you can do!" Flame commanded.

Flicker walked up to Geoffrey and effortlessly took the sword from his hand. With a sudden effort, he broke the blade in half. Geoffrey's jaw dropped. Now that he had been disarmed, Flicker and Flame walked back to the cage. Flicker concentrated hard, and then one of his fingers morphed into a long metal rod. He stuck it into the lock, probed around for a little bit, and then the lock fell open. His finger immediately returned to normal. Flame opened the cage and gave a simple order to the knights.

"Seize them!"

The knights charged out of the cage and dragged Geoffrey, along with his three evil knights, to the palace's dungeon. Meanwhile, Allfire slowly walked out.

"Flame, I am so glad that you're alive! But how did you survive?"

"Flicker saved me!"

"Squire, I will give you one very special gift as a token of my gratitude. Just tell me what you want, and it will be yours! Provided that it is within reason…"

Flicker was surprised, but he wanted to wait until he found the one thing that he wanted more than anything else.

"Why is your new outfit so… revealing?" Griddle was obviously disgusted by Flame's new attire.

"It was given to me!" Flame replied with a somewhat angry tone.

"Well, all that matters is that you're safe." Allfire said. 

The knights quickly returned, having thrown Ming, Geoffrey, and his evil knights in the dungeon, which they had found with ease due to the palace's conveniently place signs. 

"All right, everyone. Let's go back to Camelhot." Allfire hollered.

He headed for the door, and the knights followed him. Then, Flame shouted so all could hear.

"Daddy, I'm not going with you!"

Everyone turned around and stared at her. He stopped in his tracks.

"What are you talking about?"

"Flicker and I are going to stay here in China. We like it here."

Flicker had not agreed to this plan, but he figured that he had to stay if she stayed. Before Allfire could say anything else, Griddle interrupted.

"You will _not _stay with that squire! That simply will not happen!"

Flame's heart sank. However, Flicker came up with a solution.

"King Allfire, I know what I want as my reward. I wish to be knighted so I may stay with your daughter."

Allfire looked at him strangely, but he had promised one gift of Flicker's choice to him, so he had no option but to accept.

"Very well. Come here."

Flicker kneeled before the king. Allfire pulled out Excaliburn from its scabbard as his side and he tapped him on both shoulders.

"I hereby dub you Sir Flicker. You are officially absolved of all of your squiring duties, and you have permission to live with my daughter."

Griddle was absolutely furious, but Allfire was miraculously able to calm her down. He then walked over to Flame.

"Are you sure that this is what you want?"

"I could wish for nothing more."

"Very well. My little puff has grown up!"

He hugged her with tears flowing from his eyes. Flame could not keep hers dry either. He finally released her from his embrace and then he spoke to Sir Flicker.

"You take care of her, you hear? Oh, and write often!"

"Yes, sire!"

Allfire walked away, and commanded his knights to follow him, as he figured it was beast to keep a goodbye as short and sweet as possible. However, another dragon refused to go.

"I refuse to leave my stepsister behind. I'm staying too!" Blaze stated confidently.

"You too, Blaze? Well, if that's what you want to do, then stay." Allfire, who had never been particularly fond of him in the first place, responded.

Blaze walked over to Flicker and Flame's side. The king and the rest of the dragons slowly continued out of the castle. They climbed into their wagon, and left for Camelhot, leaving Flicker, Flame, and Blaze behind so that they can go on their numerous adventures.


	2. To the Rescue!

To the Rescue!

Flicker and Flame were sitting on a bench in the dungeon, the broken door lying at their feet, contemplating their next move. Meng, Count Geoffrey, and his three evil knights had escaped, and the worst part was that they had kidnapped King Ming.

"I think that the first thing that we need to do is find Blaze." Flame suggested.

"That's a good idea. I hope that he's okay."

They left the dungeon and walked down the numerous halls of the palace trying to look for Flame's stepbrother. However, he was nowhere to be found. They combed the entire palace. He was not out in the garden, he was not in any of the room, and he was not in any of the halls. He was gone. Flicker and Flame sat down on a bench that was near the throne room. 

"If he was kidnapped, then I suppose that he's been taken to Meng's fortress." Flicker stated.

"You're probably right. We need to save them. Come on, Flicker!"

Little did they realize, they were being watched. They got up and walked down yet another corridor, with the shadow following them. At once, Evil Knight Number 3 came up of the darkness picked Flicker up. Then, he saw Geoffrey approaching Flame from behind with a dagger in his hand.

"Look out, Flame!"

At that instant, Geoffrey lurched forward. He put one hand around her mouth to silence her, and with the other, he thrust the dagger into her back. He aimed for her heart, an easy kill, but he could not tell whether the dagger had pierced her heart or not. She fought and struggled, but she quickly lost her strength. Soon, Geoffrey removed the dagger, and she fell to the floor.

"Evil Knight number 3, will you please let go of me?" Flicker pleaded.

"Duh, okay." He set him softly on the floor, and Flicker rushed over to Flame.

She spoke very softly to him, as that was all the energy she could offer.

"Don't worry about me, Flicker. For some reason, I think that I'll be fine…" Then, she stopped breathing. Flicker put his finger on her neck, but there was no pulse.

"Count Geoffrey, how could you? Why do you always attack her? Why not me instead?" Flicker cried.

"She is a princess, so she is worth something to society. You are just a mere squire, one of little value to anyone whatsoever! Get lost before you suffer the same fate that she did!"

Flicker ran back to the garden, as that was the only safe haven that he knew of. He sprinted back to the fountain, and he looked at his reflection in its sparkling water. His tears made ripples in it, and they spread across the fountain. Then, he realized that it was that very fountain that caused him so many problems. He grabbed one of its walls and easily broke it apart with his bare hands. All the water flowed out of the fountain and onto the ground so that it was lost forever. He clawed and smashed the fountain until it was nothing more than a pile of rubble. Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Flicker, you are the one, you will fulfill the prophecy!" It was the old man from the shack. Flicker did not respond.

"It was long ago said that a great warrior who would come to crush a great evil would destroy that fountain over the loss of his true love. …I take it that Flame is dead?" Flicker just nodded, trying not to show any tears.

"I see… I'm sorry to hear that. You must be devastated."

Suddenly, there was another voice.

"I told you that I would be fine!"

"Flame! You're alive!" But… how?" Flicker could say nothing else.

"I don't really know… Apparently, my power allows me to fake death."

"But Count Geoffrey put a dagger through your heart! How are you still alive?"

Then, the old man's eyes opened wide. "The other prophecy will be fulfilled! Flame, you have the power to heal yourself, just as the one in the legend!"

"Then why didn't I heal myself last night?"

"Had you died, then you would have, and then you would have lived again! You can not voluntarily heal yourself, however, you can heal others whenever you wish."

"Now why exactly did Geoffrey try to kill you?" Flicker inquired.

"I believe that he wanted revenge on me since I didn't die last night, or something like that. It doesn't exactly make sense… I don't know why he doesn't even try to hurt you. You're the one who smacked him over the head with that vase!"

"I think that he's just an idiot."

"Well, let's go rescue Ming and Blaze. I shutter to think what Meng is doing to them!"

"Be careful, you two. Here's a map that shows how to get to Meng's fortress. I figured that that was where you two were going." 

After Flame and Flicker examined the map, they determined that Meng's fortress was about five miles away to the north of Ming's palace. They figured that the fastest way to get there was to fly. They immediately took to the air and were gone. After about fifteen minutes of nonstop flying, the fortress was clearly visible. It closely resembled Ming's palace, except for the fact that it had numerous armaments placed throughout the fortress's grounds. However, the dragons were able to fly past all of them and they landed right in front of the entrance. In front of them was a large, thick door. Flicker tried to open it, but a sturdy lock held it shut, and not even his impressive strength could open it.

"It's locked!" he exclaimed.

"Well, there must be another way in." They looked all over, but saw nothing. Then, Flicker realized something. They had superpowers.

"Flame, turn yourself into an ant. Then you can just crawl under the door. After that, change yourself back, and then unlock the door."

"Good idea. Just don't step on me!"

At once, she disappeared. The ground looked much different from an ant's perspective. Everything seemed to be huge! She scurried under the door and transformed herself back. Opening the door proved to be an easy matter. It was just a lever. Flicker quickly walked inside. They continued through the spacious and well-decorated hall, and inside, the fortress appeared to be completely void of life. Suddenly, they spotted Meng, Geoffrey, his evil knights, and some of Meng's servants a ways down the hall.

"Quick! Come with me!" Flame whispered.

"No! They think you're dead. We don't want to change that. Turn yourself into a mouse, and then I'll put you in my pocket. I will let them catch me, and they'll take me straight to the dungeon!"

Flame gave him a strange look, as she was not too sure about that idea. However, she transformed herself into a mouse, just as Flicker had asked. Then, he picked her up, put her in his pocket, and walked right toward the evildoers.

"Flicker! What are you doing here? Evil Knights numbers One, Two, and Three, seize him!" Count Geoffrey hollered. Upon his orders, they rushed over to Flicker and swept him off his feet.

"Take him to the dungeon so he can join the other idiots." Count Geoffrey continued. The three evil knights rushed Flicker to the nearby dungeon. Evil Knight number One unlocked the thick door to the dungeon. Then, Flicker was thrown in.

"Be a good little bunny!" Stated Evil Knight number Three.

The door was slammed shut and locked. Flicker got up, and he immediately recognized two of the three faces in the dungeon. One was Blaze, and the other was Ming. 

"Flicker! You've come to save us!" Blaze shouted in utter excitement.

"I'm so glad you're here. Meng plans to take over my kingdom. We must stop him!" Ming said with a great sense of urgency.

Then, the other person walked over to Flicker. She was an absolutely gorgeous dragon with hair that was the most beautiful shade of red. Other than that, she resembled Flame, and she was about as tall as her.

"Welcome to freedom!" She said in a loose tone of voice.

"Freedom? We're trapped in a dungeon! We _certainly _aren't free!" Flicker replied.

"No! You see, everyone in this room is free. Everyone else is trapped outside of these walls. _That _is the dungeon! They can't get out here, because they're locked in."

"What is your name?"

"I am Scarlet. I'm pleased to meet you, Flicker."

"How do you know my name?" 

"Blaze over there screamed it out like a little girl when you entered freedom!"

"Anyway, let me do something."

Flicker pulled out the little mouse from his pocket and set her on the ground. In an instant, Flame transformed back into her true self.

"Dang, that was _wicked! _Now who are you?" Scarlet inquired.

"I am Princess Flame. We've come to rescue Blaze and Ming."

"Why? They're free in here! Wait… don't tell me that I'm backwards! Is that freedom out there?"

"Yes, Scarlet. I'm afraid so." Flame had overheard every thing that she had said while she was in her mouse form, so she knew exactly what Scarlet was talking about.

"How did you do that?" Blaze was absolutely shocked.

"Something about a magic fountain giving us super powers. Please don't ask." Flame said with an obvious sense of disgust.

"Well, then may I come with you?" Scarlet asked Flame.

"I'm sorry, but you've been put in here for a good reason, I'm sure."

"Apparently, standing up in front of a crowd and shouting, 'King Meng sucks!' is not a good idea…" Scarlet stated rather apathetically.

"Okay, you can come with us. However, if you do anything funny, then you'll find yourself on the sharp end of a sword!" Flame proudly declared.

"Very well. So how are we going to get out of here?"

Again, Flicker's finger became a lock pick at his will. Opening the door with his "lock pick" proved to be effortless.

"Come with me!" Flicker commanded.

Everyone followed him out the door. They crept silently down the hall, constantly watching for Count Geoffrey and his evil friends. However, they did not appear. They continued further, and they eventually reached the giant entrance door without out any problems. They opened it, and no one was waiting for them, much to their surprise.

"Well, let's go to Ming's Palace. We should probably fly there." Flicker stated. 

"I'm sorry, but I am not a dragon. I cannot fly!" Ming replied.

Flicker thought for a moment, and then he came up with an easy solution.

"Flame, why don't you turn yourself into a giant eagle? You could pick him up so easily!"

Flame did so at once. She flew high into the air, and then she made a low pass to the ground, picking Ming up in her talons. Flicker, Scarlet, and Blaze took off immediately. They followed her all the way to Ming's palace, which was a very short trip due to a strong tailwind. Upon their arrival, she set him down, then she transformed back into her dragon form. The others landed shortly afterwards.

"That was surprisingly not difficult." Flicker couldn't believe the ease with which they carried out their plan.

"I know!" Flame replied.

"You two have saved both me and my kingdom. I cannot thank you to enough." Ming declared. "Tonight, I will host a magnificent feast for all of you!"

"Flicker, Blaze, Scarlet and I are going to Xidon to pass the time. Is that all right?" Flame knew that they had absolutely nothing to do until the feast.

"Very well. Just be back by sunset." said Ming.

Everyone left the palace and walked to the nearby city, which was much closer than they had thought. They walked through the quaint village for only a short while when Blaze saw a shop that he just had to visit.

"Oh! A clothing store! I'll meet you two out here." Blaze darted into the store.

"I'm going too. This armor is nice, but I would really like to have a dress to wear." Flame was still unaccustomed to wearing armor.

"What? You don't need a dress! You can just run around… naked! It's cheap, easy, and some nice men will take you to freedom! That's how I got there the first time." Scarlet loved to come up with impractical solutions to simple problems.

"I think not."

Flame ran in after Blaze. Flicker stayed with Scarlet, since neither of them had any desire to enter the store. They sat down on a nearby bench, marveling at the town's exquisite Chinese architecture.

"Scarlet, is that really how you got thrown into the dungeon?"

"No. I was actually wearing an 'anti-Meng' shirt. It was awesome! It's too bad that they burned it…"

"So you don't like Meng? I take it that that's because he's so evil."

"No. Not at all. I met him one time, and he said that I had crimson hair! The nerve of that… well I won't say the next word in public."

They were then silent until Flame and Blaze returned. 

"Look at this! Isn't it neat?"

Blaze twirled around as he approached Flicker and Scarlet. He was wearing a mostly lavender tunic that was purple toward the bottom. He was also wearing shiny, red boots.

"That's great!" Flicker said, trying not to laugh.

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be caught dead in that outfit!" Scarlet wanted to raise trouble, and she was succeeding, as Blaze was not happy.

"Well, that dress your wearing is absolutely hideous!"

"Yeah, Meng gave it to me. He said, 'Put that on an meet me in the dinning hall for dinner.' So, I rushed outside and shouted 'Meng sucks!' to the crowd in the streets. That's why I was thrown into freedom for the second time!"

"That was stupid!" 

"I know, but it felt good!"

"Well…" Blaze could not come up with any other ways to offend her.

Scarlet decided to end the verbal fight, as she knew that she had won.

"I was just kidding, Blaze. That outfit looks nice."

Just then, there was an unfortunately familiar voice off in the distance. It was none other than Meng.

"I thought that you all might be here. It must have been pretty easy to escape. Too bad that all of you will die!"

Scarlet immediately got up and stood right in front of him.

"You again!? Get lost!" she snarled.

"What? You're telling me to get lost? I believe that you are mistaken. I have a sword, and you have nothing!" He pulled out his samurai sword and swung at her. She dodged the blade, and then punched him right in the face. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Ha! Take that, you most uncool person!" Scarlet picked him up.

"Come on! Let's go to Ming's palace where we'll lock him up for good!"

All four of them walked back to the palace as quickly as possible, hoping that Meng would remain unconscious. They rushed inside, and Ming was on his throne in the most magnificent room in the palace.

"Check it out! I totally knocked out Meng!" Scarlet proudly boasted.

"Excellent! You want me to throw him in the dungeon, right?"

"Exactly!"

Ming hit a large gong that was next to the throne. Two huge guards instantly entered the room.

"Have Meng taken to the dungeon with that gate that is not broken." Ming commanded. The guards took Meng from Scarlet and vanished through a door.

"Man, I am so great! Now if you'll excuse me, I think that I'll go laugh in his face. After all, he put me in the dungeon twice. Now I've put _him _in the dungeon! Flicker, would you like to come with me?"

"Sure." Flicker answered.

"Blaze and I are going to go the garden." Flame said.

Flicker and Scarlet walked to the palace's other dungeon. When they arrived, Meng had regained consciousness.

"What do you two want?"

"Ha! I got you this time! You totally… SUCK!"

"Really now? I don't think so…"

Little did the two dragons realize, they had fallen right into Meng's trap. Standing behind them, completely unnoticed, was Geoffrey. He also had a fairly new invention, but Flicker and Scarlet were familiar with it. It consisted of a long metal tube mounted on a piece of wood. The inventor called it a "gun." At once, Geoffrey fired, and Scarlet immediately collapsed. It happened so fast that Flicker took a moment to realize what had occurred. The device had only one shot, so he was safe. He knelt down to Scarlet, but she was not breathing. Then, Geoffrey's evil knights appeared, and they smashed the dungeon's door in just as they had done before.

"I'll deal with you later, squire!" Geoffrey shouted.

He, his evil knights, and Meng disappeared down the hall. Flicker was holding Scarlet, but she showed no signs of life. Just then, she opened her eyes.

"Are they gone?" 

"Yes…" Flicker was crying.

"Good. I could only hold my breath for so long. Now stop crying right now! Stop it!"

"What, did Geoffrey miss you?"

"No. I was lucky, or at least somewhat lucky. He shot me in the back, and I'm sure that it's somewhere here." She put her left hand over the right side of her chest.

"Come to think of it, Flame has the power to heal! She can save you!"

"Oh, that's good. Dying is _so _not cool!"

Flicker, however, did not want to leave her side, so he shouted for Ming. However, Ming had heard the shot and was already on his way. He arrived in just a matter of seconds.

"Ming, Scarlet is dying, but Flame can save her. She is in the garden. Please find her and bring her here!"

"Anything for you two!" At once, Ming was gone.

"Flicker, I have one request, just in case I don't make it." 

"What is it?"

"I want a kiss from a handsome dragon. I want a kiss from you!" 

Flicker was nervous, but he did kiss her right on the lips, just as she wanted.

"Ah… So sweet." She stated in a soft tone. "You know, I don't think I like Count Geoffrey… Shooting me like that. That's just squaresville!"

At that moment, Flame arrived, but Blaze and Ming were not with her, as they chose not to see the scene.

"Did you come to watch me die? That was nice of you! Dying alone is no fun."

"No. I came to save you! Hold still." Flame kneeled over her and put her hands over her.

"Stop! Even if you do heal me, the bullet will still be inside me, so you won't do me much good."

Flame stopped immediately, and she was desperately trying to come up with a way to save Scarlet, but she was interrupted.

"Flame, I have one final request from you. Flicker has already done what I asked of him."

"Anything at all."

"I want… a kiss from you."

Flame just looked at her strangely. "A kiss? Are you all right?"

"Of course! I've never been better! Nah, I'm yanking your chain. I'm dying here, so please?" Scarlet wanted to point out the obvious error in Flame's sentence.

"Fine. I'll kiss you." Flame proceeded to kiss her on the cheek, but she was stopped.

"No. Not like that! I want you to kiss me just as… you would kiss Flicker."

Flame was rather disgusted by her request, but she leaned over and then kissed her right on the lips.

"See? Death doesn't have to be all-sad! Seriously, I'm trying to liven you all up!" Scarlet seemed to have had a sudden boost of energy. Flicker and Flame did not join in on her levity.

"Okay. I have it figured out. If you want to save me, this is what you must do. Flicker, you need to turn yourself into a pair of long, sturdy tweezers. Flame, you'll have to extract the bullet with those tweezers. Then, you can heal me."

Flicker instantly became a pair of good-sized tweezers. Scarlet rolled onto her stomach, and Flame very carefully removed the bullet from her back. Then, she used her power of healing, and with that, Scarlet had been saved. Flicker changed back into himself, and Scarlet almost instantly got on her feet.

"Flame, Flicker, thank you so much! Especially for the kisses…" She eyed Flame, who returned the look with a strong glare.

"I can't believe this. I've been mortally wounded twice, and now Scarlet was nearly killed. I think that we should just lie low for a little while." Flame suggested. "Oh my God! Blaze is still in the garden! Let's make sure that he's okay."

All three of them rushed to the nearby garden. In the distance, they could hear Count Geoffrey and Meng's voice, but they couldn't make out what they were saying. They crept over to see what they were up to, using Geoffrey and Meng's voices to find their location. They peeked through some bushes and were shocked. Blaze was tied at the neck, stomach, and feet to a tree. Meng was standing next to Geoffrey, who was facing Blaze about twenty feet away. In his hand were three throwing stars.

"Let's see, so now I hold them like this, and then I throw them like this?" Geoffrey asked Meng.

"Right. Go ahead. Try it out!"

Geoffrey threw one of the stars at Blaze, and it stuck in the tree, missing his neck by only an inch.

"That was good! Too bad you missed." Meng commented.

Flame, Flicker, and Scarlet jumped out from behind the bush at the same time. Scarlet tripped over a branch, but she immediately got up. Count Geoffrey's jaw dropped.

"Flame!? You're alive? But I _killed _you! I saw you die! And you too, Scarlet? I shot you, but here you are!" 

"It takes more than that to stop us!" Flame boasted.

"I'll go with that." Scarlet added.

Geoffrey nervously threw a star at Flicker, since he was the only one that Geoffrey had not attempted to kill. Flicker, however, amazingly caught the star. He threw it back, and it grazed the Count's arm as it went by. He and Meng simply fled.

"Thank heavens! I thought that I was done for!" Blaze was overjoyed. Flicker cut the ropes that bound him to the tree, and then Blaze was free.

"Let's go back to the palace. We'll figure out what needs to be done from there." Flame felt that it would be best to stay away from Geoffrey and Meng for a while.


	3. High Stakes

High Stakes

Flicker, Flame, Scarlet and Blaze were in Ming's dining hall, discussing their next move. Meng, Count Geoffrey, and Evil Knights numbers One, Two, and Three had fled to some place in China, but the dragons had no idea of their whereabouts.

"Personally, I think that we should back down for a while. When everything cools down, then we'll search for them." Flame suggested.

"That's a good idea, but that will give them time to get even further. We may never find them!" Flicker added.

"Flicker's right. We need to find them before they get too far!" Blaze declared.

"You two are right. As much as I would like to lie low for a while, we just don't have time to do so. What do you think, Scarlet?"

"I don't. I'll do whatever you want me to, as long as it doesn't end with me dying!" She replied.

"Okay… Well, let's talk to Ming. We need to let him know what we're doing." Flame recommended.

All four of them walked up to Ming, who was sitting on his throne.

"Hello, my friends! What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry Ming, but we're going to pass on your feast. We need to find Meng and Geoffrey before they get away." Flame stated.

"Very well. I understand your desire to stop them. I recommend that you stop in Beijing. Meng has a good friend there who would be willing to aid in their escape. Oh, and thanks for everything."

At that, the dragons left and quickly decided that is would be best to fly to Beijing. They could hopefully arrive there before Meng and Geoffrey did. Upon leaving the palace, they spread their wings and flew the one-hour trip to the city. Fortunately, Scarlet knew just how to get there, as she had traveled there several times.

"Scarlet, where are you from? I can tell that you're not Chinese." Flicker had wanted to know her nationality ever since he met her.

"I'm from Scotland. I'm Scottish, by the way. Oh, and my name does not mean that what you might think it means!"

"Okay… What are you doing in China?"

"I was originally sight-seeing. Then, I discovered Meng's evilness, and I decided to protest with an 'anti-Meng' shirt. Then, Meng threw me into the dungeon. I was released, and then thrown in again. That's when you all showed up. Blaze told me enough about all of you, so you don't have to tell me anything. Oh! There's… um…. That one city…" 

"Beijing?"

"Right! To Beijing!"

The dragons landed in the middle of the city. There was so sign of Meng, Geoffrey, or the Evil Knights, which was no surprise since the streets were so crowded. The four of them walked together through the quaint streets of the city.

"I'm going to find a place to get a drink. I'm so thirsty!" Blaze stated.

"Okay. We'll be sitting on that bench over there." Flame responded.

Blaze made his way through the crowd to a nearby shop. Then, as he was just about to enter the store, a crazed man ran into Blaze's side, and both of them fell to the ground. The man got up to examine whom he had crashed into.

"Oh, lucky day! A dragon!" he exclaimed hysterically.

Blaze slowly got up and dusted himself off. "The nerve!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm in trouble." The man cried.

"What's wrong?" Blaze hated to see anyone cry, especially a man like that.

"Well, I have a problem. A gambling problem."

"So?"

"One day, I was playing a new dice game, and I became too serious. I wound up betting nearly everything, and I lost almost everything! I'll have to send my daughter to work so we can survive. Can you help us? Please! Anything would be great!"

Blaze thought for a moment. "Where did you play the game?"

"At the tavern over there."

"I'll go in there, and I'll put my own money on the table. Whatever I win will be yours."

"Oh, thank you so much!"

"Come with me. I have some friends that I would like you to meet."

The man walked with Blaze, who led him to the rest of the dragons. Blaze explained the man's plight, and that he volunteered to help.

"What is your name?" Flame inquired.

"My name is Han." 

"My name is Princess Flame. This is Sir Flicker, and this is Scarlet."

"I'm pleased to meet you all."

"So, what's this plan that I hear about? It better not suck!" Scarlet always loved such events, but she never wished to participate in them.

Blaze explained his plan in full. "Okay. I'm going to go in there and I'm going to bet some of my own money. Hopefully, I'll win something, and if I do, then I'll give my winnings to Han!"

"That's kind of… sucky… Why don't you just… rob a bank! Oh wait, banks don't exist yet…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know…"

"Anyway, I'm going in there. Do any of you want to watch me win some money?"

Everyone walked to the crowded, Chinese tavern just across the street. Inside, there was a table surrounded by several Chinese and Mongolian people playing a strange, yet simple game. There was a large pile of money toward the side of the table. Blaze sat down at the table, and he took all of the gold coins from his pocket and put them on the table.

"I'm in." he declared with a strong sense of seriousness.

"Very well." said the one of the players. "You need to put one pound in the pot to play."

Blaze tossed in one of his coins.

"Here's how the game works. Each player rolls a pair of dice twice. The values of both dice of both throws are added. The person with the highest number wins. If a person was to roll the same value twice, then that person wins, and the person with the highest value gets nothing. If there are two winners, then the pot is split fifty fifty. Got it?"

"I think so."

The game quickly began. The first player rolled a nine. Then, he rolled a six, so someone would have to roll more than fifteen to win. The second player rolled thirteen. The next rolled thirteen again. Then, it was Blaze's turn. He held his breath, and then threw the dice on the table. When the dice came to rest, it was snake eyes. He rolled once more, and it revealed a three. The first player won the entire pot. The second play went almost the same way. The first player won everything, and Blaze won nothing. He played for eleven more games, but he lost every time, so he wound up losing all of his money. He confidently got up and walked out the door without saying a thing. The other dragons followed him. He calmly sat on a bench, and Flame sat next to him.

"You're taking this well, considering that you lost everything." Flame commented.

At once, Blaze burst out crying. "I'm ruined! That was all I had, and it's gone! I'm done for! I'm…"

"Hold on! Why don't you get a job?"

Blaze stopped sobbing. "That's a good idea! But where can I get a job around here?"

He glanced around, looking at all the shops that lined the streets. In one of the windows of one of the many restaurants that lined the streets of Beijing was a sign that said "Dishwashers needed."

"Flame, I've got it! I'll be a dishwasher!"

"There you go! That way, you can earn an honest wage."

Blaze entered the restaurant. Since he was a dragon and was considered to bring good luck, he had no problem getting the job. He went to work immediately. Flame, Flicker, Scarlet, and Han were figuring out just what to do next.

"I'm sorry about causing all this trouble." Han apologized.

"It wasn't your fault. Blaze was the one who wanted to help you." Flicker reassured him.

"I think that… we should eat tons of pudding!" Scarlet proudly suggested.

"How would that help?" Flame asked.

"Oh, you want something that would help us? My plan wasn't designed to do that, unless we are hungry."

"Did any of you notice that the first player in that game won every time?" Flicker pointed out. "I thing that the game was rigged."

"You're right!" Flame added. "We might be able to come up with a plan…"

"I've got it!" Scarlet shouted. "Blaze needs to enter the game once again. Flame, you should change into Charles Wells, that famous gambler dude. Flicker, you will transform yourself into a weighted die. I will switch one of the dice with you, and then we should be set!"

"But a weighted die will only increase Blaze's chance of winning! It won't insure victory." Flicker stated.

"That's why Flame will become a gambler. If she secretly plays alongside Blaze, then our chances of winning will double! If she wins but Blaze loses or vice versa, then all the money still ends up on our side." 

Everyone quickly agreed upon the plan. Suddenly, Blaze stormed out of the restaurant.

"I refuse to work there!" He yelled.

"Why?" Scarlet inquired.

"First of all, the kitchen is filthy! Second, they treat me like dirt! 'You missed a spot here; you missed a spot there. Start over!' they would say. Finally, that is the most unpleasant place to work in. It stinks, it's hotter than hot, and you wouldn't believe what they put in the food there!"

Scarlet explained her plan, and that he never needed to work there again. Blaze was delighted at the thought, so he agreed to the plan. However, he had nothing to bet. Scarlet informed him the he could have some of her money, thus sealing the deal. The dragons all walked behind a nearby building so that they could execute the first stage of their plan. Flicker transformed into a weighted die, and Flame became a perfect image of Charles Wells, who was also known as "The man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo." Scarlet put Flicker in her pocket, and they walked back into the tavern, where Blaze was ready to try his luck again. When he entered, he threw some of the money that Scarlet gave to him down on the table.

"I'm in!" He declared.

"Me too!" A disguised Flame sat down in an empty chair next to Blaze.

The first player, who turned out to be a famous gambler named Yuan, was just about ready to start. Just then, Scarlet bumped the table, knocking one of the dice off the table.

"I'm so sorry!" She apologized. In doing so, she took Flicker the die out of her pocket and dropped him onto her foot as to avoid making any noise. Then, she covered the other die with her foot. Yuan glared at her, and then he picked up the fake die without even knowing it. The game began. This time, it was only Yuan, Blaze, and Flame. Yuan rolled, and one die showed a six, while Flicker made sure that he showed a one. Again, it was the same story. Yuan ended up with fourteen. Blaze got nineteen, and Flame ended up with eighteen, so Blaze won the entire pot. However, unbeknown to Flicker, Scarlet was not playing. When Yuan rolled again, which would have been Scarlet's roll had she been playing, he got twenty. Blaze received thirteen, and Flame rolled a total of nineteen. The mishaps continued until Yuan ended up with all the money, and Flame and Blaze had nothing. At that moment, Yuan declared that he was finished. 

"Come on, just one more game!" Blaze pleaded.

"Why? You have nothing! Tell you what. If you can come up with something good to put in the pot, then I'll be more than happy to throw in all this money along with it."

Blaze thought for a moment, but he really had nothing that was of any value. 

"I'm out." Flame said with her Charles Wells voice. She knew that it was just down to Blaze and Yuan. Suddenly, Yuan knew that Blaze had something that he could bet.

"How about this. You throw that beautiful dragon over there into the pot, and we'll call it even." He pointed to Scarlet, who was obviously infuriated.

"What? You mean to say that I'm worth only ninety-six measly pounds!" She stopped when Blaze spoke again.

"Very well. If you win, she, and all of that money are yours." Blaze said with a stroke of confidence. However, he was not sure whether he would win or not.

Blaze nervously watched as Yuan rolled first. It was eight. Next, he rolled nine. Blaze now had to beat seventeen. His first throw was a three. Flicker apparently thought that Yuan had rolled him. Blaze anxiously threw the dice again. His only hope now was to get another three. Held his breath as the dice spun. One stopped at two. The other one danced across the table, and it finally came to rest. On the top, there was a single pip. Blaze had won everything.

"What!? That's just not possible. There's no way that you could have won! I weighted the die! I cheated! Ha ha ha… uh oh…" Yuan shouted in a furious rampage.

Yuan had cheated many people in the tavern out of their own money, and upon hearing this were greatly angered. They immediately got up and surrounded the gambler. At once, they attacked him. During the mayhem, Scarlet quietly picked up the both dice, as she had no idea as to which one was Flicker. The dragons, and their friend Han, calmly strolled out the door, having won more money than they could have wished for. They walked behind the building, where Flame transformed back into her true form. Scarlet set the dice on the ground.

"Come on, Flicker. The game is over." She said. At once, Flicker transformed back into himself.

"Did we win?"

"Of course we won! We got a freaking ton of money as well! I'm such a… smart person!"

"Excellent!"

Just then, Blaze walked up to Han.

"Han, this should be enough money for you and your daughter. Just don't spend all in one place." Blaze generously gave him forty pounds.

"Thank you so much! I will find some way to repay you, I swear!"

They all walked out from behind the building and slowly paced through the streets. At that moment, Meng and Geoffrey walked up to Han, who was walking with the dragons.

"Han, my good friend, we need your help…" Meng abruptly gasped. "There are those stupid dragons! Help me capture them, Han!" Meng charged toward them, but Han stopped him cold.

"What are you doing? Help me capture them!"

"Why?"

"I'm going to kill each one of them. They all deserve to die!" 

"Not me!" Scarlet stated.

"Shut up!" Meng snapped.

"I'm sorry." Han went on. "These dragons saved me. I will not let you hurt them! They are kind and loving, and certainly do not deserve such a fate." 

Meng pulled out his sword and charged at the dragons once again. However, Han stopped him yet again. Meng tried to relieve himself of Han's grip, but Han was much stronger than Meng, so he easily overpowered him.

"Well, my friends, thank you for everything. Now fly away to safety!" Han shouted as he kept Meng on the ground.

The dragons realized that they had no choice but to obey him. They took flight, and were quickly miles from Beijing.


	4. The Haunted Manor

The Haunted Manor

Flicker, Flame, Scarlet, and Blaze had been flying for nearly two hours straight. Their wings were sore, they were exhausted, and it was getting late. Finally, they came across a tiny village where they quickly landed, hoping to find a place to rest. When they entered the city, there were just a few people in the streets. Flame walked up to a young lady to find out more.

"Excuse me, but where is a good place to stay around here?"

"Oh, there is no place for you to stay, except one, but you would have to be crazy to spend a night there."

"Crazy? I think I'll qualify for that one!" Scarlet interrupted. "What's so bad about it anyway?"

"It's haunted."

"Haunted? Sounds cool!"

"Oh, but it is not cold. Furniture moves on its own, there are sounds with no cause, and finally, one can hear voices coming from no one."

"Sweet! Flame, can we please stay there? I want to stay there!"

"I don't believe in curses, and I think that that place is our only option, so we will."

Flicker and Blaze were not too happy about the thought, but they could either stay there or try to fly to some other town, which would be nearly impossible in the dark.

"How much does it cost for a night there?" Flame inquired.

"It's free. The place is completely unoccupied."

"Where is it?"

"Just walk up this street here, and you can't miss it. It will be on your left. Just look for the run down mansion."

"Thank you." 

The dragons then walked up the street, and sure enough, there was a creepy mansion toward the end. It was built in the typical Chinese fashion, but it was dark and dreary. There was a constant thunderstorm over the building, even though the rest of the sky was clear. The yard had apparently not been tended to in years. The dragons cautiously walked past the decrepit gate and up the beaten, windy path that led to the door. Scarlet paced proudly in front of the group, as though she liked the scenery. When they approached the door, she knocked on the door with the heavy dragon-shaped, wrought iron knocker that was firmly attached to heavy, weather beaten door. Suddenly, the door opened by itself. Scarlet was apparently fascinated by the strange occurrence.

"Did you see that? That was totally radical! I can't wait to see what this place looks like on the inside!" She darted inside.

Flicker was right behind her. The entrance room was occasionally lit by a flash of lightning only to reveal a dusty, cobweb infested room. Flicker took a torch off one of the walls and lit it with his breath. Flame and Blaze did the same. Scarlet picked up the last torch and used Flicker's lit torch to light it.

"Ewww. I sure hope that someone didn't decorate this place like this on purpose!" Blaze was instantly disgusted.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go! Maybe we'll see a ghost!" 

Flame, Flicker, and Blaze were nowhere near as enthusiast as Scarlet was. As they proceeded down the hall, she stopped and looked inside every room. Then, the others heard a loud crash. They looked in the room that she had just entered, and she was not there. Instead, there was a large hole in the floor. They were too nervous to do anything, so they waited in the doorway, pondering just what to do. Suddenly, Scarlet spoke from behind them.

"That kind of, like, seriously hurt, but don't worry, I'm fine. Let's go on, shall we?"

The group continued on, but Scarlet was much more calm than before. Her enthusiasm for the exploration of the manor had subsided. They then sought a place to stay. They came across what had been the master bedroom. It was also dark, but not as dark due to the large number of wavy windows that were set firmly within the walls. There were still cobwebs all over. However, it was the most pleasing room in the entire manor. The four of them walked in slowly and carefully, as they wanted to make sure that the floor was sound. It creaked and groaned as they walked across it, but fortunately, it held. Flicker's torch revealed a large fireplace on one side of the room. There was a dusty pile of logs next to it.

"Hey! Over here!" he shouted. "I'll light the fireplace, and then we can a least feel safer in its glow."

Everyone gathered around the fireplace, and Flicker put some wood in it. He threw his torch in it, and within moments, the fire had been started. At that moment, hundreds of bats poured out of the chimney. They left through a crack in the ceiling.

"That was awesome! I _love _bats!" Scarlet exclaimed.

"We don't!" Blaze shouted back.

"Are you crazy? They're like birds, but only bats! And they fly! I wish I could fly…"

"I think that _you're _the one who's crazy."

"Oh yeah…"

All four of them huddled around the fire, not for its warmth, but for the feeling of safety that it gave them. At that moment, there was a loud noise that came from some other room in the manor.

"What was that?" Flicker knew that no one could give him an answer, but asking made him feel better.

"I don't know. We should investigate. Why don't you come with me? Blaze and Scarlet can stay here." Flame knew that she would feel much safer if Flicker was with her.

The two walked out the door, leaving Scarlet and Blaze in front of the comforting fire. They walked down the main hall, and suddenly, two hands pulled them into one of the rooms. In the faint light of the room, they could make out Count Geoffrey's face.

"I figured you two would be here. This night will be your last!"

As he spoke, his evil knights tied Flicker and Flame up, back to back.

"And I know about you two." The count continued. "This is an enchanted rope. It renders all of your powers useless."

"You can't win!" Flame snapped.

"Oh, but I can! You see, because of this rope, you can no longer heal yourself, so I _can_ kill you!" He pointed his sword at Flame's throat, and she had a look of sheer terror on her face. However, Geoffrey sheathed his sword.

"I'll take care of the others first. Don't worry, I probably won't kill them. I'll just scare them out of here, and then they can't save you! Oh, and Flicker, if you play your cards right, I might just spare you."

"Just what do you mean?" Flicker hoped that if he was saved, then he could somehow save Flame as well.

Geoffrey thought for a moment. He wanted to make sure that it was some task that would benefit him, but at the same time, it had to be something that Flicker would certainly not do. Then, he came up with the perfect solution.

"Here's the deal. If you kill Flame, then you're free to go. I will never again bother you, or the other dragons, again."

"I absolutely will _not _harm her!"

"Very well. You shall perish with her. Now to take care of the other two dragons." He sent his three evil henchmen on a mission to scare Blaze and Scarlet to the point where they would leave the mansion andwould never return.

Meanwhile, Blaze and Scarlet were sitting in front of the fire, enjoying the serene glow that it shed upon the dusty, beaten room. In an instant, they heard a strange moaning sound.

"Ooooooooo!"

A ghost appeared in the doorway. Scarlet glanced at Blaze so that she could gauge his reaction. His face was completely white.

"Check it out! A ghost! Come on Blaze, let's go meet it!"

"Um… No thank you…"

"Suit yourself."

Scarlet calmly got up and walked toward the ghost, as though seeing a ghost was a daily occurrence.

"Hello, Mr. Ghost. How are you?"

"Oooooo, leave, and never return! Oooooo!"

"That's all fine and dandy, but that doesn't answer my question. Anyway, I'm pleased to meet you!"

Scarlet held out her hand for a handshake. However, the ghost hit her, knocking her to the ground.

"Hey! You're not a nice ghost!" At that moment, the ghost disappeared down the hall.

Blaze rushed over to help Scarlet. She got up on her own and dusted herself off.

"The nerve of that ghost… It must totally be from Squaresville, or even Squaresburg!"

"You weren't frightened at all? Why?" Blaze said as he trembled. Scarlet could easily see that.

"There's something fishy about it… First of all, I couldn't see through it. Second, it hit me. Ghosts aren't supposed to be able to do that! Finally, I heard the clanking of metal boots as it 'floated away.' That's just freaked up… in some way…"

"I'm worried about Flicker and Flame. They've been gone for quite a while."

"Me too. Let's search for them!"

Blaze and Scarlet left the room and proceeded down the hall. They carefully inspected each and every room. Then, they came to the kitchen, and the two entered it, as there were numerous rooms branching off of it.

"Whoa! Check out all this stuff!"

"I believe that we have more important things to do that to look at pots and pans!" Blaze reminded her.

"Fine. If that's how you want it." 

At that instant, a knife came flying from across the kitchen and it stuck in the wall, having missed Scarlet by mere inches.

"Whoa! That ghost must have pretty good aim!" Scarlet took the knife out of the wall. "It's sharp as a razor too. Awesome!"

Blaze ducked behind one of the counters. Scarlet kneeled in front of him to try to comfort him. All of a sudden, another knife stuck in the wall. Had she not kneeled, it would have hit her. She just glanced up.

"Man! That is just radical!"

"Scarlet, don't you get it? They are trying to kill you!"

"No they aren't. If they are, then I'd be dead already!"

She got up and pulled the other knife out of the wall.

"Come on, Blaze. Let's ditch this joint!"

She helped him to his feet, and she calmly walked into the adjacent dining room, although she nearly had to drag Blaze with her. They sat down on two the dusty chairs in front of the massive dining table.

"Don't worry, Blaze. There is nothing to be afraid of!"

Then, a chair at the far end of the table hovered off the ground and it threw itself towards the dragons. It flew just over Scarlet's head, and it crashed through a large window on the other side of the room.

"I'm telling you. There is nothing to be afraid of!" Scarlet reiterated.

"Didn't you see that chair that went flying over your head?"

"What chair?"

"Never mind."

"Now that that window is broken, it's getting cold in here. Let's go… elsewhere."

The two left their seats and walked through a different doorway. It took them right into the entrance room, a room that they were familiar with. Blaze followed Scarlet, as she seemed to know where she was going. They headed up the stairs once again. Before they got too far, a skeleton fell from the ceiling and stopped right in front of them. It appeared to float in mid-air.

"Check it out! A skeleton!" Scarlet examined it more closely. "It's a dragon skeleton! That's freaking sweet!"

Blaze however, was petrified.

"Do… do you think that that was Flicker, or Flame?"

"Nope. It's certainly not one of them. It's kind of hard to believe that that's what I look like on the inside… Anyway, let's find those two!"

Scarlet simply pushed the skeleton aside and walked past it. Blaze was very careful not to touch it as he went by. They walked only a short distance before encountering their next obstacle. There was a giant web that spanned the entire width of the hall in front of them. In the center of it was a huge spider.

"That's kind of odd… This wasn't here before…"

Scarlet picked the spider out of the web and showed it to Blaze.

"Do you want to pet it? Come on! You know you want to!"

"Scarlet! It could be poisonous! Put it down!"

"Don't you worry. This kind of spider is not harmful, as long as you don't lick it. It will make your tongue itch! You don't want an itchy tongue, do you?"

She somehow put the spider in her pocket.

"Now for the web. Blaze, can you burn it for me?"

"Why don't you burn it?"

"Well… I have a problem…"

"What is it?"

"I can't breathe fire."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Let me get this web out of the way."

He breathed onto it, and it was gone in a flash of orange.

"Shall we continue?" Scarlet asked, not expecting a response.

They walked further down the hall, all the while looking in every room. All the doors to the rooms were open, except for one. On the door to that one room was a sign.

"Hmm… Abandon hope, all ye who enter… Sounds kind of ominous, don't you think?"

Scarlet opened the door, not at all concerned about what could be waiting for them. Blaze entered right behind her. Inside, they found Flicker and Flame on the floor, tied together. Count Geoffrey was watching them, and he immediately spotted Blaze and Scarlet.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in!"

"Hey! We just walked in here! No cat dragged us in!" Scarlet snapped.

"It was just a figure of speech."

"Oh. Anyway, release them, or stuff will happen. Bad stuff to you, specifically!"

"The only one who has any chance of being released is Flicker. I made a deal with him. If he kills Flame, then I will let him go."

"I see… What if he was to kill me instead? Would you let both of them go?"

Geoffrey could not believe that she just offered her own life to save them. However, he had a strong feeling that she was trying to deceive him. Flicker and Flame were just as shocked at the proposition. Geoffrey thought for a moment. 

"Very well. If he kills you, then he and Flame are free to go. Oh, and Blaze too."

Scarlet then approached Flicker.

"What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"I'm sorry, but I won't do it!" 

"What!? Oh, you will! Don't make me kick your butt! I'll do it!"

"I still won't do it!"

"Come on, please? Pretty please? Seriously, come on! It's for Flame!"

Flicker knew that she would not stop until he agreed.

"Fine. If that's what you want, then let's do it." 

"Excellent!" Geoffrey shouted. "Evil Knights numbers One, Two, and Three, get in here!"

All three of his evil knights charged through the door at once, and in doing so, they got stuck in the doorway.

"Ahhh! You're a bunch idiots!" Geoffrey snarled. "Don't make me come over there!"

At that moment, the knights burst through.

"Untie Flicker and Flame. Then, tie Flame to that pillar over there. We don't want her to escape!"

The knights quickly executed Geoffrey's instructions. Flicker now had no choice but to kill Scarlet. Geoffrey handed him a dagger.

"Okay, Flicker, you stand over there, and Scarlet, you stand over there. Then, let the execution begin!" 

Flicker and Scarlet stood apart, facing each other. Then, Flicker walked over to her with the dagger in his hand. He closed his eyes and, with his hand trembling, he raised the dagger. Scarlet just stood there.

"Stop!Stop!" she shouted.

At those words, Geoffrey was delighted. He thought for sure that she had been bluffing. However, he quickly found out that there was more to it than just that.

"I'm sorry, but that's just pathetic. Go back to where you started and just stop there."

Flicker walked back to his starting point and faced her.

"Okay." Scarlet went on. "Raise that dagger above your head." 

Flicker did just as she asked.

"Good. Now scream!" 

"Ahhhhh…" Flicker droned in an unenthusiastic tone.

"No! Not like that! Pretend that I stole Flame from you. She's my girl now! Doesn't that make you insanely mad?"

"But you're a woman! Why would you steal her from me?"

"Details, details! Just ignore them! Come on, scream like a maniac!"

"AHHHHH!"

"Perfect! Now charge at me with that dagger above your head, ready to strike like there's no tomorrow!"

Flicker sprinted at her, ready for the kill. He swung his dagger at her. In one swift move, she flipped Flicker on his back, stole the dagger from his hand, and darted towards Flame and cut the ropes that bound her to the post.

"Count Geoffrey, _this _is for you!"

Scarlet took the spider out of her pocket and threw it at him, and it clung to his face. He screamed like a little girl and dashed out the door. The evil knights followed him.

"Scarlet, thanks for everything." Flicker stated.

"Don't worry. It was nothing."

"No, it was not nothing! We'll find a way to pay you back."

"Whatever. Let's just get out of here."

The four dragons left the manor, and they walked side by side away from it.

"Do you smell smoke?" Scarlet asked the others.

All four of them turned around, and they were shocked. The corner of the mansion was buried in flames.

"I guess we should have put the fire out in the fireplace." Flicker stated.

All four of them watched as the manor burned to the ground. Wall by wall, it collapsed, and soon there was nothing left of it but a burning pile of rubble.

"Do you think that that place was really haunted?" Flame asked Scarlet.

"No. All kinds of spooky things happened to Blaze and me, but I'm sure that they were just the results of Geoffrey's evil knights."

They began to walk away, and suddenly, there was a voice from behind them.

"Stop right there!" 

The dragons turned around and saw a real ghost face to face. They could see through him, but his presence was still quite profound. He hovered above them, and spoke in a loud thundering voice.

"You burned down my manor!"

"We're terribly sorry…" Flame replied with a trembling voice.

"Nonsense! You see, when I was vanquished unjustly in my own home, it became my tomb. As long as it stood, my spirit was trapped within its walls. By destroying my home, you all have set me free! I am truly indebted to you all. Oh, and I'm sorry about the knives, the chair, the skeleton, and the spider."

"So Geoffrey's knights weren't the ones who set those things up?" Scarlet inquired.

"No. The only thing those morons did was dress up in a blanket to look like a ghost. Well, I am going to enjoy my freedom. You haven't seen the last of me!" At once, the ghost disappeared.

"Does that answer your question?" Scarlet asked Flame.

"It certainly does."

At that, the dragons walked away, proud of what they had accomplished. They found a place to stay in town and spent the remainder of the night there. When the sun rose, they took flight, ready for their next adventure.


End file.
